South Carolina § 40-9-31 - Procedures for revoking, suspending, or restricting a license or disciplining a licensee; appeal to Administrative Law Court; stay pending appeal.

§ 40-9-31. Procedures for revoking, suspending, or restricting a license or disciplining a licensee; appeal to Administrative Law Court; stay pending appeal.

(A) An action of the board relating to the revocation or suspension of a license or other action restricting a license or disciplining a licensee must be taken only after a written complaint of misconduct has been filed with the board in accordance with regulations promulgated by the board. After receiving a complaint a closed hearing must be held by an examiner selected by the board after thirty days' notice to the complainant and the licensee or their counsel. The Attorney General's office, upon request of the board, shall present the case for the complainant before the examiner. Upon receipt of the examiner's report, the board shall notify the complainant and the licensee and the licensee's counsel of the time and place at which the board will consider the report for the purpose of determining its action on the report; the notice must be given not less than ten days before the meeting. The complainant and the licensee and the licensee's counsel have the right to appear before the board at the meeting, submit briefs, and be heard in oral argument in opposition to or in support of the recommendations of the board. The Attorney General's office also has the right to appear before the board and submit briefs and be heard in oral argument. Upon its final review the board may either dismiss the complaint or find that the licensee is guilty of misconduct meriting sanction. The board shall file a final certified report of the proceedings before it with the secretary of the board who shall notify the complainant and the licensee and the licensee's counsel of this action. A decision of the board to revoke, suspend, or restrict a license or to limit or discipline a person engaging in the practice of chiropractic requires a majority vote of the membership of the board. The board's decision may be appealed to an administrative law judge as provided under Article 5 of Chapter 23 of Title 1, which shall hear the matter upon petition filed by the licensee with an administrative law judge as provided under Article 5 of Chapter 23 of Title 1, and served upon the secretary of the board within ten days from the date of delivery of the board's decision to the licensee. A decision by the board to revoke, suspend, or restrict a license or to limit or discipline a licensee or one who is found to be practicing chiropractic without complying with this chapter is not effective until the tenth day following the date of delivery of a written copy of the decision to the licensee. Service of a petition for a review of the decision stays the board's decision pending completion of the appellate process.

(B) If a licensee is found to have violated this chapter or a regulation promulgated under this chapter, in addition to or instead of taking action to revoke, suspend, or restrict the license of the licensee, the board may assess a civil fine of up to two thousand dollars for each violation, but the total fine may not exceed ten thousand dollars.

HISTORY: 1981 Act No. 99, SECTION 8; 1993 Act No. 45, SECTION 2; 1993 Act No. 181, SECTION 864.